When Adalynne Fairweather was just a child,
her entire life had already been planned. From Ivy League schools to a career
in law, adventure was the one thing out of her reach. That was until a boy with
bright green eyes and a monster truck t-shirt wandered into her back yard, giving
the adventure she longed for.

Refuge
can be found in the most unlikely places…

Damon Knight’s abusive home life left him longing
for a childhood he never had—until he wandered into Adalynne’s yard. She took
his hand, smiled at him, and even gave him a nickname. Fox. The woods became their escape—a place to flee from reality. He
discovered music through Adalynne’s piano, and not long after that, she gave
him a guitar. Little did he know that gift would change his life forever.

Years
later, their age is not the only thing that’s changed...

Adalynne’s love for Fox took on a life of
its own. As they begin to build their lives, her heart aches for him in ways
she can’t understand. As they slowly begin to drift apart, Adalynne becomes
more desperate to cling to their secret romance.

But Fox is no longer the bright-eyed child from
the woods. Her shy, beautiful Fox has grown into a dark, troubled man with a
guitar. And when her last attempt to salvage their relationship breaks Adalynne’s
heart, catching Fox a second time seems just out of her reach.

★PROLOGUE★

Adalynne sat on
her wooden swing, twisting her new white shoes into the dirt beneath her feet.
Tears dripped from her cheeks and she watched as they disappeared into the
fabric of her dress, leaving tiny dark spots on the material. The ropes of the
swing creaked loudly with every sway as she gently pushed it back and forth.

“Why are you
crying?”

Adalynne looked
up through a veil of perfect blonde curls. A boy close to her age was standing
in the line of trees backing onto her property. His voice was so quiet that she
thought at first it might have been the breeze. His unkempt dark hair fell over
his eyes in dark waves. His knees were visible through his ripped pants and his
shirt was adorned with a monster truck with its tongue hanging out. It was a sight
that brought a smile to her lips despite her tears.

Adalynne wiped
her face with the back on her hand and studied the boy. “Where did you come
from?” she asked, looking around to see if anyone else was in his company.

“I live through
that way.” He pointed into the dense trees behind them. “I heard you crying
while I was playing in the woods,” the boy explained, looking nervous.

“It’s my
birthday today and I wanted to wear my favorite dress with pink and blue
stripes but my mom made me wear this yellow dress and it scratches my skin,”
she confessed sadly.

Adalynne slipped
off the swing and closed the distance between them. The boy took a hesitant
step back with her approach. “What’s your name?” she asked curiously. He didn’t
answer her question but instead looked behind him, anxious and ready to flee.
“Don’t go,” she pleaded.

The boy stood
frozen, watching her intently. Adalynne moved slowly out of fear she would scare
him away. She had never seen eyes like his. The color green they exhibited was
vibrant and breathtaking, putting the foliage around them to shame. It made her
think of her bright green crayon that she had used earlier to color the leaves
of her trees. He was so beautiful and quiet she thought he might be her
imagination. She smiled big and bright, letting him know she wanted to be his
friend.

When she was
close enough she reached out and took his hand to confirm he was real. His hand
trembled beneath her fingers as she held it gently. “My name is Adalynne,” she said
softly. He looked back at her with wide eyes. Not even a hint of a smile on his
lips. “It’s my mother’s name too.” She found herself talking out of fear he
would leave if she didn’t keep his interest. “It’s probably why she wants me to
be just like her.” Though he remained quiet he seemed to be interested in her
words. “Sometimes I wonder if I had another name it would be different and I
wouldn’t have to wear uncomfortable clothes, and she would just let me be me
and have fun.”

“You want a
different name?” he whispered. He seemed puzzled by her, as if she were a
strange creature that mysteriously washed up on shore, his curiosity keeping
him captivated.

“Yes! I would
love another name.” Adalynne reached out and took his other hand in hers as
well. He looked down at his hands tightly clasped in hers.

“What would you
want your name to be?” he asked.

Adalynne
giggled. “Hmmm…” She pondered the thought. The idea of picking her own name
excited her. She watched a bee hover over some nearby flowers and her smile
deepened. “Bee,” she responded happily. “Because then I could wear stripes all
the time and play in the flowers whenever I wanted.”

He smiled back
at her then. It was simply beautiful. “What would you choose?” she asked
happily, her tears forgotten now. He shrugged his shoulders and slowly tried to
pull his hand from hers but Adalynne was scared to let him go. There was
something different about this boy that drew her to him. “How about…” Adalynne
thought about what was befitting of the boy in front of her. She remembered
when she was playing in her backyard and saw a fox peeking through the trees.
It left as quickly as it came without a sound. She never told her mother for
fear she wouldn’t let her play outside anymore. “Fox?” He could be her secret
fox.

Adalynne grew
excited with her suggestion. “You remind me of a fox because you are quick,
quiet and…beautiful.” The smile fell from her lips. “You don’t like it?”

“No…I do…I like
it,” he responded with a small smile, bringing her own back to life.

“I like you,”
she confessed.

“Adalynne!”She turned back toward her house when
she heard her mother call her name. The boy pulled his hands from hers and
retreated back into the woods as quiet as he came. It felt like he took a piece
of her with him when he left. Her sadness returned as she walked toward her mother’s
call.